The Rise of eSports

Before we talk more about eSports lets go through some basic definitions first. eSports are a form of organized online video game competitions, particularly between professional players. The most common video game genres associated with eSports are real time strategies, first person shooter, fighting, and some online battle arena. As the digital revolution has transformed the way we chat, date, and shop, the same way sport took some changes too. eSports consist of a variety of video games, for which you need super flexible fingers and a fast brain to succeed, along with a lot of practise. The idea that millions of people would tune in to watch other people playing computer games would once have seemed like a comedy, but rapid rise of eSports has shown us all wrong. eSports is one of the fastest growing spectator sports in the world and claims to be the second truly global sport after football.

In the begging, people only watched eSports games via YouTube, and streaming platforms like Twitch and MLG.tv, but recently TV has been getting involved too. In June 2016, Sky and ITV joined up with sports channel Ginx to launch Ginx eSports TV, and international 24-hour station. ESPN, TBS, the BBC and BT Sport have been broadcasting eSports games too. According to Newzoo, there are 191 million enthusiasts and 194 million occasional fans of eSports. The Amsterdam-based purveyor of eSports games and mobile intelligence estimates that the eSports economy reached nearly $700 million in 2017 and will hit double than that by 2020, as brands invest in advertising, sponsorships and media rights.

There are still group of people who will criticise eSports for not being a real sport, but that is a bit unfair. Video games are games, and every game has its winner and a loser, and when you are competing at the very highest level for substantial cash prizes a game can easily become a sport. No matter what people say or think about whether eSports are truly a sport or not, it is definitely going mainstream. But what will come next? The most recent question regarding eSport is whether or not it will have its one place in the Olympics. All we have to do is wait and see, but by the way eSPorts are growing, I am almost positive that it will happen.